A plant from the past, and possibly a food for the future, kiwicha, or amaranth, is grown as both a leafy vegetable and a grain. Amaranth protein is high quality and may be useful for people who cannot tolerate wheat protein. Amaranth is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and a few studies with animals and people suggest that it may help to improve symptoms of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Amaranth

Amaranth, a plant with broad green leaves and purple, red and gold seed heads, was widely cultivated as a staple food by the Aztecs, Incas and other pre-Columbian peoples. The seeds are harvested and used as a grain, which is similar in size to poppy seed. Amaranth grain can be popped like popcorn, ground into flour or boiled for porridge. The flour is used to bake unleavened breads and must be combined with wheat flour at a ratio of about one part amaranth to three or four parts wheat to bake yeast-leavened breads. The leaves, rich in iron and calcium, can be boiled for a few minutes and used in vegetable dishes similar to spinach.

Protein Quality

Amaranth grain is about 16 percent protein. Amaranth grain protein has a higher nutritional quality than most cereal grain proteins due to high contents of the amino acids lysine and methionine. The protein in amaranth leaves is similar in quantity and quality to spinach. Boiling amaranth grain for about 10 minutes destroys anti-nutritive compounds that could interfere with protein digestion and utilization and improves its nutritional quality. People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten proteins present in wheat and rye, and amaranth grain is a gluten-free alternative that is safe for people with celiac disease. In child nutrition, amaranth’s high-quality protein makes it useful as a weaning food.

Antioxidants and Fiber

Antioxidants in food help to protect your cell membranes and genetic material from free radical damage. Amaranth leaves are rich in antioxidant vitamins such as vitamins A and C, and the oil of the grain is rich in vitamin E and another compound with antioxidant activity called squalene. Other compounds with antioxidant activity in amaranth include phenolic acids and flavonoids. Dietary fiber is important for normal gastrointestinal function. Amaranth grain is about 6.7 percent fiber, including both soluble and insoluble types. The soluble fiber content is higher in pale-colored varieties of amaranth grain, and the insoluble fiber content is higher in the dark-colored varieties.

Medicinal Benefits

Health benefits of amaranth include lowering blood cholesterol and glucose levels and stimulating immunity. The squalene present in amaranth oil improved blood lipids and immune function in people with heart disease in a study published in 2006 in “Voprosy Pitaniia.” In people with Type 2 diabetes, flour prepared with 25 percent amaranth and 75 percent wheat was found to a have a lower blood glucose-elevating effect than wheat or rice flour, according to a study published in the March 1997 issue of “Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.”

About the Author

Michael Peluso is a semi-retired scientist in the field of nutritional biochemistry. He received his M.S. in nutrition from the University of California, Davis and Ph.D. in nutrition from the University of Missouri. Peluso's work has appeared in scholarly publications such as the "Journal of Nutrition," "Lipids" and "Experimental Biology and Medicine."